SENIOR COMPOSITION RECITAL Marcus Loya

Sunday, April 16, 2023

7:30 pm

Faye Spanos Concert Hall

The Forgotten One (2023)

Marcus T. Loya, flute

Waltz of the Wanderers: A Flute Duet (2023)

Marcus T. Loya, Ashley Bonfoey, flutes

Odyssey to Nowhere (2021)

Marcus T. Loya, flute

Hannah Estrella, oboe

Edgard Gonzales, clarinet

Jordan Wier, bassoon

Edgar Leyva, horn

Marcus T. Loya (b. 2000)

Marcus T. Loya (b. 2000)

Marcus T. Loya (b. 2000)

Rise (2023)

Kylie Ward, Alayna Ontai, trumpets

Matthew Miramontes, trombone

Jayden Laumeister, bass trombone

Vector’s Revelation (2021)

Charlotte Han, Lauren Huen, violin

Ealaph Tabbaa, viola

Jordan Hendrickson, cello

Joseph Kruse, piano

Pause

The Cosmic Question (2022)

Ryan Abdelmalek, conductor

Marcus T. Loya, flute

Hannah Estrella, oboe

Edgard Gonzales, clarinet

Jordan Wier, bassoon

Edgar Leyva, Jada Ramos, horn

Kylie Ward, Alayna Ontai, trumpet

Matthew Miramontes, trombone

Jayden Laumeister, bass trombone

Charlotte Han, Lauren Huen, violin

Ealaph Tabbaa, viola

Jordan Hendrickson, cello

Logan Adams, bass

Joseph Kruse, piano

Matthew Kulm, percussion

Marcus T. Loya (b. 2000)

Marcus T. Loya (b. 2000)

Marcus T. Loya (b. 2000)

Program Notes

Notes by the composer

The Forgotten One (2023)

The theme of this piece is one I created in high school. It is based on a story I wrote from kindergarten through high school titled The Forgotten One, spanning around ten books worth of content (with pictures, songs, characters, new languages, etc.). It is a story of a young, innocent child who is thrown into an unknown/fantastical cruel world, forced to fight a battle of fates and morality. The main theme is part of a larger orchestra work I created, but I wanted to have new things prepared for my recital. Aside from the solo heard in the beginning, the rest of this piece is a departure from the original piece. It is far more free in nature and develops through a few other themes and sub-themes from the story. I felt this would be a good solo work since I wrote it from the perspective of a lost, inexperienced child filled with doubt, reflecting heavily on his journey and undiscovered purpose.

Waltz of the Wanderers: A Flute Duet (2023)

This piece is dedicated to my best friend and partner Ashley K. Bonfoey. We have had our share of talks of “what happens after”—after college, when it’s really time to start “adulting” and having some sort of “set purpose.” It is a scary thought for sure. To sit on it and sulk for too long would doom anybody to be lost Wanderers in a world filled with so much love and purpose. Meeting Ashley has helped me realize that I am not alone on this daunting journey, and that the little things are also full of meaning, whether it was baking together or running outside in the rain together. At the end of the day, who really knows what their grand purpose is? Live your life and strive to be satisfied and happy.

Odyssey to Nowhere (2021)

“Your diamonds are not in far distant mountains or in yonder seas. They are in your own backyard if you but dig for them.” —Reverend Russel Conwell

Exploration does not have any direct correlation to far travels. One does not need to embark on an everlasting trek in order to find what one seeks. One may find Continued next page that one can simply look no further than what is bestowed directly in front of one. If one commits oneself to anything, there is much exploration to be done within the contents at one’s current disposal. An Odyssey to many places—without taking a single step!

This recital is presented as a requirement for the Bachelor of Music degree in music composition.

Marcus T. Loya is a fourth-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in music composition. He studies flute with Brittany Trotter and composition with Andrew Conklin. He also works as a recording engineer in the Owen Hall Recording Studio under the management of Jeff Crawford. After college he plans to work with his father, Steve Loya, at Gerlinger Steel and Supply while writing music and interning as an audio/ sound engineer in the Sacramento area.

Rise (2023)

This piece was created from a simple theme I created on the piano that is a cousin to several other themes I have created on top of the same simple chord progression. In the spring of 2021, I showcased a piece titled With This Valor (We Remain Triumphant), written for the Pacific Flute Choir, that presented a similar piece with a simple and catchy theme with few chords. The truth is, my subpar piano playing is mostly limited to four fingers at a time (which is only four pitches at once: three for chords and one for a melody)—which happens to conveniently translate to a four-part ensemble! This piece calls back the most to my interest in video game music, particularly older video game music: simple yet catchy and fun, usually very repetitive with some sort of loop. Each theme presented sounds very heroic, driven, and exciting. Similar to With This Valor, this piece is also meant to be a punchy fight song.

Vector’s Revelation (2021)

The more complex version of this story is far more intricate and involves an evil scientist named Vector Xeldrous with electric superpowers who goes insane, so I will break it down to a more personal level. I wrote this piece in the spring of 2021, the end of my sophomore year during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Around this period I wanted to do everything and was constantly challenged in that by my peers, mentors, and sometimes loved ones—challenged in fair and unfair ways. In truth, I developed a pretty unhealthy habit from it. Whenever put in a position where someone openly doubts something about me, I become relentlessly and unhealthily obligated to prove I can do it. It created a draining paradox of either pushing myself to unhealthy extremes to finish a fight or completely burning out and losing hope. The Revelation that you can’t do everything even if you want to is a necessary one. Do not let anyone stop you, but it should be noted that you should have some restraint and balance in your own life for your own sake.

The Cosmic Question (2022)

“There is a cosmic curiosity when it comes to self-discovery.” In some form, each piece in this recital has dabbled on the complex paradox of “finding a purpose” or “wandering” or “fighting on.” The original name for this piece was Blossoms, based on my personal journey these past couple of years and how there have been these pivotal moments of blossoming in different shades of light. Even when things seem to go wrong, it can be easy to forget that these harder moments are also shades of blossoming; moments of growth and maturity. I changed the name to The Cosmic Question as to me felt a little less on the nose, for one, and also just sounded cooler. In all seriousness, I changed the name because writing this piece was a very spiritual process. I learned this term “Cosmic Question” from a stranger during lunch. He made me realize that one can never be satisfied if you always try to find some sort of cosmic meaning in every aspect of your life—with that logic, baking and running in the rain would be pointless. The Cosmic Question does not have to be found through The Cosmic Answers; perhaps The Cosmic Question may never be answered at all. Embrace the big wins, the small wins, and even the losses. Embrace the journey into the unknown!

—Marcus T. Loya